Method of making photographic records



Aug. 5 1924.

C. E. KENNETH MEES METHOD OF MAKING PHOTOGRAEHIC RECORDS Filed Juno 3,

WITNESS FEEFIE INVENTOR (f/JTKelrrml/m/l/easf BY Patented Aug. 5, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. KENNETH MEES, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EASTMANKODAK COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD OF MAKING PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORDS.

Application filed June 3,

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLESE. KENNETH Mans, a subject of the King 'ofGreat Britain, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMethods of Making Photographic Records, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to a new and simple method of making photographicrecords.

In my Patent No. 1,396,770, granted Nov. 15, 1921, I have disclosed amachine in which a piece of suitably prepared paper may be dampened andthen exposed to a printing light, the material becoming more sensitiveto light when damp than when dry and a record being thus made upon itwhen placed in a damp condition at the light printing position. Thispresent application relates to a new photographic method for which theapparatus described is particularly adapted. This method consists indampening a prepared paper with a solution which both sensitizes thepaper and renders it damp at the time of use.

The record, object, image, data, legend or I other matter to bereproduced may, of

course, be projected by any desired'means upon the surface while stilldamp with the sensitizing solution and I contemplate all such means andmethods as being within the scope of my invention, it being necessaryonly that the material when thus dampened be subjected to the action ofactinic rays whatever their source and however they may becontrolled,-transmitted, reflected, or modified to give any desiredaction, and when I refer to the pro'ection of a light image it is withthis broa intent and meaning. While I have shown hereinafter aparticular means for carrying out my method any equivalent means whetherin itself novel or not may be used.

In order to illustrate one way in which my process may be applied andperformed, I show the weighing. machine described in my above mentionedpatent which machine is equipped with apparatus for producing 1921.Serial No. 474,833.

photographic records of various readings of the scale; but itis to bedistinctly understood that, while this embodiment is chosen by way ofillustration, I consider as within the scope of my invention the use ofany equivalent means, not only as applied to any desired form ofmeasuring, computing, registering, recording or other machine; but alsoto other apparatus of any description.

I particularly contemplate the carrying out of my process byphotographic apparatus, cameras, reproducing or printing machines.

Reference will now be made tothat particular embodiment of my inventionwhich is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which likereference characters designate like parts throughout.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a weighing machine equipped with oneform of my improved photographic recording means;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of that portion of the mechanismwhich includes my improved recording means, the exterior casing beingremoved, and taken on line 22 of Fig. 3, in the direction indicated;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 in the directionindicated;

Fig. 4 is a view of a section of photographic material showing a recordas made by my apparatus.-

The weighing machine, which is of any usual or desired constructioncomprises a platform 1 upon which the article to be weighed is'placedand a legend bearing dial 2, carried on a shaft 3, which is actuated bysuitable lever means 4 connected with the platform 1. The dial 2 movesopposite a window 5 in the casing 6 and a fixed pointer 42 indicates byregistry with the data on the dial the weight of the object on theplatform. This structure and the details thereof constitute no part ofmy invention.

The shaft 3 is mounted at one end in a wall of the casing 6 and at theother end in an extension 39 of a wall of the tank 12 uwhich will belater described. On this shaft 3 is mounted another dial 7, the annularouter portion 8 of which, at least, is transparent and bears opaquenumerals and graduations 9, corresponding to those on the dial 2, andadapted to register with a. pointer 1,0, fixed in the glass panel: 11.In the 'rear of this dial there is a tank 12 or other liquid retainer,which is rigidly mounted on support 40. Pivoted on a shaft 13, which issupported on the casing 6, is an arm 14 carrying a blade 15 whichnormally rests in a bath 16 inthe tank 12. This arm is operated by thehandle 17 which extends through an aperture 18 in the casing 2.

' Pivoted at 19 to the support 40 is another arm 20 adapted to rocktoward and from the front 'of the felt surface 22 and is sup ported bythe shoulder 24. The casing 6 has suitable extensions 29 and 30 toprovide space for the magazine or supply of paper and to provide achannel through which the paper may be drawn out of the casing.

This paper is coated with an emulsion which when d is visibly affectedonly slightly, if at a by light rays and may be exposed to the light ofday without harm. This paper when dampened with solution 16 is capableof darkening quickly and deeply when submitted-to light. This paper andthe solution will bemore fully described hereinafter.

The glass panel 11 forms one side of a lamp box 31, in which is anelectric filament lamp 32. There is in the handle 17 a push button 33,normally pressed outwardly by spring 34, but which may be pressed in--wardly to close a circuit to the lamp. The simple circuit is not shownas it involves no features of novelty or interest.

When the handle 17 is pushed down, the blade 15 is lifted from theliquid, and the upper edge, engaging the cam surface 25,

pushes arm 20 back, permitting the surface of blade 15, which is coveredwith felt 35 or other absorbent material, to brush across the surface ofthat portion 36 of the pre pared paper which is supported on theshoulder 24, and dampen it with the solution, thus causing it to becomesensitive to light rays and capable of being discolored thereby. Thehandle is at once raised again,

permitting the blade 15 to return to the tank and the paper 36 ispressed toward the data bearing disc 8. It does not press against it,however, because arm 20 engages a stop 37., The operator may now causethe flit-.li'l. of the lamp 32 by pressing recaees button 33. When asuficient time has elapsed, the lamp is de-energized and the ing means,Whether attached to the apparatus or not, may be used.

Such a machine is of obvious utility in markets and. stores, where eachcustomer may be given a photographic record of the scale relating to hispurchase. As the paper is insensitive when dry, it will not be furtherdiscolored, and the record will remain and be ample to furnishthecustomer with a suflicient memorandum of the transaction. When in thespecification and claims, I refer to the paper as insensitive when dry,I mean that it is relatively free from visib e efiects due to actiniclight, and that it will not darken beyond such a degree as will notaffect its usefulness; and which is slight as compared to the extentthat it will darken when damp and exposed to actinic rays.

The sensitive material which I have mentioned and the properties ofwhich I have described is an ordinary emulsion of silver bromide ingelatine. One way in which such an emulsion may be made is thefollowing:

To 1000 c. c. of a 7%% potassium bromide solution is added 175 4 gramsof gelatine. These are melted and the solution is held at a temperatureof 90 F., while there is slowly added to the mixture 1000 c. c. of a 10%solution of silver nitrate which .has been precipitated and then justredissolved with ammonia, the silver nitrate solution being also held.at 90 F. -When precipitation is complete the temperature 1s raised to120 F., at which point it is held for a half hour. The emulsion is thencooled rather rapidly, as b placing the container in ice, and the emusion cut up into small shreds and washed in running water for an hour.The emulsion is then remelted and it is immediately coated on thesupport such as paper. I have found that the addition of sodiumv sulfiteto a wide variety of emulsions, particularly those containlng silverbromide, has the efi'ect of rendering them capable of darkening when wetand exposed to light, where without the sulfite they have been incapableof so darkening or have possessed this ability to only a limited extent.This solution may be added to the emulsion after it has been made andcoated upon the support and is fully as efiective as if it wereincorporated therein at the time of manufacture. I therefore place asolution 16, preferably of sodium sulfite, in the tank 12 and thissolution performs the double function of sensitizing the paper so as togive it the properties described and, furthermore, to dampen it at thetime of use. It is possible, therefore, for the manufacturer to furnishan ordinary type of Bromide paper to the user of the machine and thelatter may use the sensitizer in the machine itself. Other sulfites thansodium sulfite may be used, particularly those of the alkali metals,among which I count ammonium. A solution of sodium nitrite, or of anitrite of the other alkali metals, including ammonium, may also beused. The strength of solution of any of the materials used may varywithin wide limits, but I fiud it satisfactory with an apparatus of thetype herein described to use a 10% solution of sodium sulfite.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of making a photographic record which consists inmoistening a suitably prepared material with a bath free of substancestending to discolor the material and that will render the materialcapable of becoming darker in the presence of light when damp than whendry and submitting the material while still damp from such bath to theprojection of a light image thereon.

2. The method of making a photographic record which consists inmoistening a material bearing a suitable gelatino-haloid emulsion with abath free of substances capable of developing an image in such emulsionthat will render the material capable of becoming darker in the presenceof light when damp than when dry and submitting the .material whilestill damp from such 'bath to the projection of a light image thereonand at once permitting the material to dry.

3. The method of making a photographic record that consists inmoistening a material carrying a suitable layer containing silverbromide with a ba th free of substances capable of developing a latentimage in a silver salt that will render the material capable of becomingdarker in the resence of light when damp than when ry and submitting thematerial while still damp' from such .bath to the projection of a lightimage thereon.

4. The method of making a photographic record that consists inmoistening a material carrying a suitable gelatino-bromide emulsion witha bath free of substances ca-.

ble of becoming darker in the presence of light when damp than Whendryand submitting the material while still damp from such bath to theprojection of a light image thereon.

5. The method of making a photographic record which consists inmoistening a suitably prepared material with a bath containing a sulfitebut free of substanaes tending to stain said material, thus renderingthe material capable of becoming darker in the presence of light whendamp' than when dry, and submitting the material While still damp fromsuch bath to the projection of a light image thereon.

6. The method of making a photographic record which consists inmoistening a suitably prepared material witha 'bath containing insolution a sulfite of an alkali metal but free of substances tending tostain said material, thus rendering the material capable of becomingdarker in the presence of light when damp than when dry, and submittingthe material while still damp from such bath to the projection of alight image thereon.

7. The method of making a photographic record which consists inmoistening a suitably prepared material With a bath consisting of sodiumsulfite in an aqueous solution, thereby rendering the material capableof becoming darker in the presence of light when damp than when dry, andthen submitting the material while still damp from such bath to theprojection of a light image thereon. 1

8. The method of making a photographic record which consists ofmoistening a suitably prepared material with a bath consisting of sodiumsulfite in aqueous solution, thereby rendering the material capable ofbecoming darker in the presence of light when damp than when dry, andthen submitting the material while still damp from such bath to theprojection of a light image thereon, and at once d ing the material.

9. The method of ma ing a photographic record which consists inmoistening a material carrying a suitable gelatino-haloid layer with abath containing in solution a sulfite but free of substances capable ofdeveloping an image in said layer, thus rendering it capable of becomingdarker in the presence of light when damp than when dry, and thensubmitting it while still damp from such bath to the projection of alight image thereon.

10. The method of making a photographi record which consists inmoistening a material carrying a suitable gelatino-bromide emulsion-witha bath consisting of an aqueous solution of a sulfite of an alkalimetal, thus rendering the emulsion capable of becoming darker in thepresence of light when damp than when dry, and then submitting it whilestill damp to the projection of a light image thereon.

1 I 1,sos,ees

11. The method of making a photographic submitting the paper while stilldamp from record which consists in submitting a ,suitsuch bath to theprojection of a, light image able photographic gelatino-bromide paperthereon and at once drying the paper. w to a bath consisting of anaqueous solution Signed at Rochester, New York, this 1st 5 of sodiumsulfite, thus rendering it cap-abie day of June, 1921.

of becoming much darker in the presence of light when damp than whendry, and then CHARLES KENNETH MEES.

